Device for filling tanks



Dec. 16, 1941. F. AMloT DEVICE FOR FILLING TANKS Filed Nov. 16, 1939 ,sf4. 2 o I Y VvE/ww? FEL/,Y for,

By L Wd/PNEYS Patented Dec. 16, 1941 2,266,682 DEVICE FOR FILLING TANKSFelix Amiot, Neuilly-sux'-Seine, France Application November 16, 1939,Serial No. 304,831 In Luxemburg September 30, 1939 3 Claims.

The present invention. relates to devices for filling tanks, andespecially aircraft tanks such as are placed in the wings.

In a prior U. S. patent application I described devices of this kind,which were characterized bythe provision of means for preventing anyamount of liquid spilled during the lling of the tank from reachingtheinner wall of the casing (for instance the airplane wing) containingthe tank, and causing said spilled liquid to ow directly to the outsideof said casing.

For this purpose, according to a preferred embodiment described in saidprior application, the liquid is fed to the tank from the bottom througha tube extending upwardly through the tank and opened at the top forpouring liquid into said tank, any liquid spilled from said top beingevacuated, together with air, through a conduit or sleeve surroundingsaid tube and opening directly' into the atmosphere.

The chief object of the present invention is to--provide a fillingdevice of this type which is particularly well adapted to meet therequirements of practice, and is very easy and quick to operate.

According to an essential feature of the present invention, the feedtube above mentioned is mounted in a fixed or stationary manner withrespect to the tank and aircraft or other structure, and I provide meansfor coupling to the bottom of said tube the conduit leading from theexternal source of liquid or fuel.

According to another feature of the present invention, the means forestablishing the connections with the external source of liquid, oronthe contrary for closing the tank, are of the bayonet type. e

Other features of the present invention will result from the followingdetailed description of a specific embodiment thereof.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be hereinafterdescribed, with reference In the following description, it will besupposed, by way of example, that the invention is applied to the caseof a fuel tank R tted on an aircraft, inside the wing thereof.'

The device according to the invention includes a feed tube 5 extendingupwardly through said tank R, said tube being mounted on the inside ofanother tube, or conduit, i, which is coupled, in a fluidtight manner,at 2, to the bottom of the tank. This conduit l permits the spilled orleaking liquid to escape downwardly to the outside of the wing, and alsothe air driven out from the tank by the filling thereof to lescape tothe atmosphere. According to the present stituting a kind of dome-shapedextension of the top of tankA R.

Furthermore,v said feed tube 5 is fixed, at its` lower end, in a piecesuch as I6l which constitutes to the accompanying drawing, given merelyby way of example, and in which:

Fig. l is an axial vertical section of a fuel tank for airplane,provided with a device for the nlling of said tank from an externalsource of fuel, said device being made according to an embodiment of thepresent invention;

2 is a separate view, on the line II-II of Fig. 3, in section, showingthe assembly of one of the tubes of Fig. 1 and of a closureplugaccording to theinvention;

Fig. 3 is an elev Fig. 2.

tional view corresponding to (Figs. 2 and s) which closes said socket lsin av a rigid connection between tube 5 and the wall of the outerconduit I.

invention, ytube 5 is mounted in a fixed and stationary (or eventuallyFeed tube 5 is tted, at its upper part, with holes Il for the passage ofthe liquid or fuel. On the other hand, annular piece I6 is also providedwith holes I8 for the passage of air and of the spilled or leakingliquid.

Finally, an inverted cup-shaped piece 26 is mounted at the top end oftube 5, forming a deilector and covering the upper end 21 of theexternal tube or conduit I.

Concerning the means for tom end of tube 5 a tube Il leading from theexternal source of fuel, they arevadvantageously made as follows, asillustrated by the drawing: I provide, at the bottom end of thestructure above described, a socket I9, or any other equivalent annularmember, i'ixed to the coupling piece IG or to the bottom end of tube 5,and on which.

can be secured either of the two following elements: either a suitablecoupling conduit, or eventually directly tube H; or a plug such as 3fluidtight manner.

Of course, means are provided for permitting the escape of air fromthe'tank during the lling fitting to the bot-l

